A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction

Author: Patrick J. Kennedy,Stephen Fried

Publisher: Penguin

ISBN: 0698185110

Category: Biography & Autobiography

Page: 432

View: 2001

**A New York Times Bestseller** Patrick J. Kennedy, the former congressman and youngest child of Senator Ted Kennedy, details his personal and political battle with mental illness and addiction, exploring mental health care's history in the country alongside his and every family's private struggles. On May 5, 2006, the New York Times ran two stories, “Patrick Kennedy Crashes Car into Capitol Barrier” and then, several hours later, “Patrick Kennedy Says He'll Seek Help for Addiction.” It was the first time that the popular Rhode Island congressman had publicly disclosed his addiction to prescription painkillers, the true extent of his struggle with bipolar disorder and his plan to immediately seek treatment. That could have been the end of his career, but instead it was the beginning. Since then, Kennedy has become the nation’s leading advocate for mental health and substance abuse care, research and policy both in and out of Congress. And ever since passing the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act--and after the death of his father, leaving Congress--he has been changing the dialogue that surrounds all brain diseases. A Common Struggle weaves together Kennedy's private and professional narratives, echoing Kennedy's philosophy that for him, the personal is political and the political personal. Focusing on the years from his 'coming out' about suffering from bipolar disorder and addiction to the present day, the book examines Kennedy's journey toward recovery and reflects on Americans' propensity to treat mental illnesses as "family secrets." Beyond his own story, though, Kennedy creates a roadmap for equality in the mental health community, and outlines a bold plan for the future of mental health policy. Written with award-winning healthcare journalist and best-selling author Stephen Fried, A Common Struggle is both a cry for empathy and a call to action. From the Hardcover edition.

A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction by Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried | Summary & Analysis

Author: Instaread

Publisher: Instaread Summaries

ISBN: 1944195351

Category: Psychology

Page: 34

View: 2764

A Common Struggle by Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried | Summary & Analysis Preview: A Common Struggle by Patrick Kennedy is a memoir chronicling his struggles with mental illness and addiction. Patrick uses himself and his family as an example of the stigma and confusion surrounding mental illness in the US and explains the history of mental illness and mental health policy in that context. Born in July 1967, Patrick Kennedy was the youngest of three children born to Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy and Virginia Joan Bennett Kennedy. Patrick suffered from severe asthma from a young age. While he did not like having asthma, he did like that his father paid more attention to him when he was having asthmatic issues. Patrick idolized his father and loved going on sailing trips with just the two of them. He also enjoyed the time he was able to spend with him on the campaign trail when Ted was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980… PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary & Analysis of A Common Struggle • Summary of book • Introduction to the Important People in the book • Analysis of the Themes and Author’s Style

This collection of entries offers a front seat view of the rise, reign, and fall of powerful modern political families and examines the effects they have had on political, social, and economic issues in American society. • Profiles prominent political families such as the Bushes, Kennedys, and Roosevelts, in entries authored by historians with established expertise • Features articles alphabetical by surname, each accompanied by a robust bibliography as well as helpful At-a-Glance sidebars • Includes a chronology of the major personal and political events for each family

We take our medicines on faith. We assume our doctors are well-informed, our drug companies scrupulous, our FDA diligent—and our medications safe. All too often we're wrong. Just how wrong is documented in this critically acclaimed portrait of the international pharmaceutical industry by one of our most highly respected investigative journalists. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), adverse drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of death in America. Reactions to prescription and over-the-counter medications kill far more people annually than all illegal drug use combined. Stephen Fried's wife took a pill for a minor infection—and ended up in the emergency room. Some drug reactions go away in a few hours or days. Diane's did not. This emotionally wrenching experience launched Fried into a five-year examination of the entire pharmaceutical industry, the most profitable legal business in the world. Rigorously documented, Bitter Pills is a full-scale portrait of pill making and pill taking in America today, presented through the powerful human drama of doctors, patients, drug companies, the FDA, and government regulators as they war for control of our medicine cabinets. From the Trade Paperback edition.

In a time of Growing awareness of the diversity among elders, Fried and Mehrotra provide an excitingly fresh perspective that helps us develop a clearer understanding of gerontology and that bridges the gap between students and service providers in the field. Aging and Diversity combines a clear narrative with active learning experiences. The authors invite readers to broaden their works view, enhance culturally relevant skills, understand older adults through a life-course perspective, and view aging from a multi-ethnic perspective. Specific chapters address psychological aging, issues in health and sexuality, caregiving, work and retirement, religion and spirituality, and death and grieving. For ease of use, each chapter includes orienting questions, a narrative that includes and introduction and summary, vignettes, structured orienting questions, a narrative that includes and introduction and summary, vignettes, structured individual and group learning experiences, comprehension tests, quizzes, glossary, and an annotated bibliography of suggested readings. Aging and Diversity offers undergraduates and service providers tools that will enable them to understand diversity and its impact on the lives of older adults in the United States Aging and Diversity will be invaluable to both students and practitioners in the fields of gerontology, psychology and sociology of aging, counseling, adult learning, social work, family studies, and multicultural studies.

From award-winning journalist Stephen Fried comes a vividly intimate portrait of American Judaism today in which faith, family, and community are explored through the dramatic life of a landmark congregation as it seeks to replace its legendary retiring rabbi--and reinvent itself for the next generation. The New Rabbi The center of this compelling chronicle is Har Zion Temple on Philadelphia’s Main Line, which for the last seventy-five years has been one of the largest and most influential congregations in America. For thirty years Rabbi Gerald Wolpe has been its spiritual leader, a brilliant sermonizer of wide renown--but now he has announced his retirement. It is the start of a remarkable nationwide search process largely unknown to the lay world--and of much more. For at this dramatic moment Wolpe agrees to give extraordinary access to Fried, inviting him--and the reader--into the intense personal and professional life of the clergy and the complex behind-the-scenes life of a major Conservative congregation. These riveting pages bring us a unique view of Judaism in practice: from Har Zion’s strong-willed leaders and influential families to the young bar and bat mitzvahs just beginning their Jewish lives; from the three-days-a-year synagogue goers to the hard core of devout attendees. We are touched by their times of joy and times of grief, intrigued by congregational politics, moved by the search for faith. We witness the conflicts between generations about issues of belief, observance, and the pressures of secular life. We meet Wolpe’s vigorous-minded ailing wife and his sons, one of whom has become a celebrity rabbi in Los Angeles. And we follow the author’s own moving search for meaning as he reconnects with the religion of his youth. We also have a front-row seat at the usually clandestine process of choosing a new rabbi, as what was expected to be a simple one-year search for Rabbi Wolpe’s successor extends to two years and then three. Dozens of résumés are rejected, a parade of prospects come to interview, the chosen successor changes his mind at the last minute, and a confrontation erupts between the synagogue and the New York–based Conservative rabbis’ “union” that governs the process. As the time comes for Wolpe to depart, a venerated house of worship is being torn apart. And thrust onto the pulpit is Wolpe’s young assistant, Rabbi Jacob Herber, in his first job out of rabbinical school, facing the nearly impossible situation of taking over despite being technically ineligible for the position--and finding himself on trial with the congregation and at odds with his mentor. Rich in anecdote and scenes of wonderful immediacy, this is a riveting book about the search for personal faith, about the tension between secular concerns and ancient tradition in affluent America, and about what Wolpe himself has called “the retail business of religion.” Stephen Fried brings all these elements to vivid life with the passion and energy of a superbly gifted storyteller.

Why do men hog the remote? Refuse to stop and ask for directions? Have such a hard time sharing their emotions? Why can’t they drop their socks in the laundry basket instead of near it? What does a man mean when he says “uh-huh”? (No, it doesn’t always mean he’s not listening.) In his wickedly observant collection of essays, Stephen Fried, widely praised as an investigative journalist, turns his attention to the subject of marriage–his own and others’. The result is a daring, provocative, often hilarious read that throws incisive light on mysteries that have long plagued womankind: the inner workings of the male mind. Originally published as a series of popular columns in Ladies’ Home Journal—and now compiled in one volume at the request of his enthusiastic readers—Fried’s pitch-perfect essays fearlessly tackle the realities of love, sex, and marriage with both wit and tenderness. Drawing from candid conversations with fellow husbands as well as with his own wife, Fried’s eye-opening work will surprise, disarm, entertain—and tell you more about the man in your life than you could ever learn by asking him. From the Hardcover edition.

Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a Time

Author: Stephen Fried

Publisher: Bantam

ISBN: 0553907328

Category: History

Page: 544

View: 2287

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Featured in the PBS documentary The Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound The legendary life and entrepreneurial vision of Fred Harvey helped shape American culture and history for three generations—from the 1880s all the way through World War II—and still influence our lives today in surprising and fascinating ways. Now award-winning journalist Stephen Fried re-creates the life of this unlikely American hero, the founding father of the nation’s service industry, whose remarkable family business civilized the West and introduced America to Americans. Appetite for America is the incredible real-life story of Fred Harvey—told in depth for the first time ever—as well as the story of this country’s expansion into the Wild West of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, of the great days of the railroad, of a time when a deal could still be made with a handshake and the United States was still uniting. As a young immigrant, Fred Harvey worked his way up from dishwasher to household name: He was Ray Kroc before McDonald’s, J. Willard Marriott before Marriott Hotels, Howard Schultz before Starbucks. His eating houses and hotels along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad (including historic lodges still in use at the Grand Canyon) were patronized by princes, presidents, and countless ordinary travelers looking for the best cup of coffee in the country. Harvey’s staff of carefully screened single young women—the celebrated Harvey Girls—were the country’s first female workforce and became genuine Americana, even inspiring an MGM musical starring Judy Garland. With the verve and passion of Fred Harvey himself, Stephen Fried tells the story of how this visionary built his business from a single lunch counter into a family empire whose marketing and innovations we still encounter in myriad ways. Inspiring, instructive, and hugely entertaining, Appetite for America is historical biography that is as richly rewarding as a slice of fresh apple pie—and every bit as satisfying. *With two photo inserts featuring over 75 images, and an appendix with over fifty Fred Harvey recipes, most of them never-before-published. From the Hardcover edition.